STATUS OF INTEGRATED VITICULTURE PRODUCTION IN OREGON

M. Carmo Candolfi-Vasconcelos, P. Lombard, T. Casteel
The post-prohibition winegrape industry in Oregon started in 1961. Since then, grapevine surface has increased steadily and the present 412 vineyards totaling 3,200 ha produced 16,800 tons of grapes with a value of $21.5 million in 1997. Oregon ranks fourth in the USA in grape production and second in number of wineries. This industry is still in its infancy and profited greatly from technological advances made in the Old World and in California. The absence of major arthorpod pests and downy mildew are the major factors allowing grape growers to farm their vineyards with very low chemical input. Oregon has been recognized for its pioneering efforts in environmental protection within the United States. It is therefore not surprising that the first viticulture IP program in the USA was initiated in Oregon in 1996.

The goals and technical guidelines were entirely formulated by grape growers with the encouragement of Oregon State University. The program was implemented in 1997 in 25 vineyards. Participating vineyards were inspected and scored according to the technical guidelines. These guidelines were fine tuned after the first test year to better evaluate the ecological performance of the typical Oregon vineyards. The aim is to seek international certification with IOBC in the near future.

Goals, technical guidelines and performance of participating growers are summarized.

Carmo Candolfi-Vasconcelos, M., Lombard, P. and Casteel, T. (2000). STATUS OF INTEGRATED VITICULTURE PRODUCTION IN OREGON. Acta Hortic. 525, 71-78
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.525.7
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.525.7

Acta Horticulturae